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The Pacific madrone is one of the Pacific Northwest's most beautiful trees. It's thin, red bark peels away to reveal smooth green tinted bark underneath. As a broadleaf evergreen, it won't lose its leaves every fall, but will shed them sporadically every two years or so. Read on to learn more!
Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
Distribution
The Pacific madrone's habitat ranges from Vancouver Island to San Diego. In Washington and Oregon, the madrone is found from the west slope of the Cascades to the Coast range. It reaches about 80 feet in the wild but is considerably smaller in the city. Amazingly, there have been reports of individual species living up to 300 years.
Leaves, Flowers, Fruit
The evergreen leaves are broad, waxy, and dark green in color. The stand-out feature of the Pacific madrone is the peeling bark, which gives the tree a unique mosaic look.
The flowers are small, white or pink, and bell-shaped, and the small fruit is bright red and bumpy. The fruit is edible, but due to its high tannin content, it is quite astringent.
Indigenous Peoples and Pacific Madrone
The Saanich people use the bark and leaves for medicinal preparations. Communities along the Klamath river use the berries for bait when fishing for steelhead. Many Salish people, including the Saanich, feature the Pacific madrone in their oral histories.
Pacific Madrones in Portland
Because of their sensitive nature, Pacific madrones are rare in Portland, but you can find a few hiding under the massive Douglas firs in Pier Park.
We have one Pacific madrone designated a Heritage Tree. It is a street tree in SE Portland and about 40 feet tall.
Heritage Trees are formally recognized by the City Council for their unique size, age, or historical or horticultural significance.
If you are the owner of an outstanding tree, consider nominating it for Urban Forestry's Heritage Tree program. By designating your tree a Heritage Tree, it will be protected for generations to come.
Caring for Pacific Madrone
Pacific madrones are notoriously hard to grow. Some studies suggest that taking them away from their original mycorrhizal environment hampers seedling growth. Your madrone should not be moved once planted.
Pacific madrones must have well-draining soil. They will not tolerate sitting in moist soil. The Pacific madrone is not shade tolerant and will not thrive in a shady spot as the tree matures.
If you'd like to try your hand at growing a Pacific madrone, make sure you plant in a well-draining rocky spot. The madrone prefers part shade when it is young but must have full sun as it matures. Some nurseries even suggest planting your seedling in the same direction as it was growing in the nursery so as not to disturb its orientation. For more information on caring for new trees, see Urban Forestry's establishment care guide.
Problems and Pests: Pacific madrones are susceptible to a number of fungi. Damp and humid conditions can lead to foliage disease. Conversely, conditions that are too dry can lead to fungi that cause twig dieback and trunk cankers. Vigorous pruning is recommended if fungi become a problem. The Pacific madrone is not overly bothered by insect pests.
Use Oregon State University's plant disease and insect management handbooks to diagnose potential problems with your Pacific madrone.
- Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks (pnwhandbooks.org)
- Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks (pnwhandbooks.org)
For More Information
- What’s wrong with my madrone? | OSU Extension Service (oregonstate.edu)
- Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) | Oregon Wood Innovation Center (oregonstate.edu)
- About Pacific Madrone | PPO Home | Washington State University (wsu.edu)
- Arbutus menziesii - Wikipedia
- Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon, Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Revised), 2004, Lone Pine Press.